


and we all got something to say

by badgerfrog



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autistic Zuko (Avatar), Engagement, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gaang (Avatar) as Family, M/M, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, and Sokka can handle it himself, but Zuko defends him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26483857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badgerfrog/pseuds/badgerfrog
Summary: Zuko and Sokka visit Azula with an announcement. As always with them and Azula, it doesn't go well. Later, they have a celebratory dinner for their announcement with the rest of the Gaang back at their apartment.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 269





	and we all got something to say

**Author's Note:**

> sokka and zuko are twenty-three and twenty-four
> 
> idk why i wrote this im p sure it was 4 am

Zuko looks at himself in the mirror. “Don’t talk to Sokka like that,” he whispers at his reflection, trying and failing to twist his features into an expression appropriate for the feeling he’s trying to convey. His good eye does okay at the glare he's trying to go for, but his bad eye always seems to have the same expression.

“Don’t talk to Sokka like that,” he whispers at himself, trying to inject more venom into his voice, groaning and letting his forehead thump against the mirror when he fails.

Today is his day to visit Azula in the residential treatment center. Sokka’s going with him, and they both know that she’s going to make some comment or remark that will make Zuko's blood boil. Zuko knows Sokka can handle Azula just fine, but he wants to be able to respond appropriately.

Practice isn’t going well.

“You don’t have to tell her, you know,” Sokka says, slipping into the bathroom beside him and catching his tongue between his teeth as he looks in the mirror and ties his wolftail. “She’s been doing pretty good, right? Therapy’s been going well, and I don’t want to set her off again by telling her.”

Zuko lifts his forehead up from the mirror and shakes his head. “I know I don’t have to, but I want to. And therapy isn’t going well unless she can handle being in the same room as you without thinking or saying something horrible. Why should I hide you just because my family—“ he pauses, searching for the right words.

“Kinda sucks?” Sokka fills in helpfully, smoothing down his flyaways.

Zuko snorts. “That doesn’t even begin to cover it, but yeah. Kinda sucks,” he repeats, pulling up his hair into a messy topknot.

“Well,” Sokka says, leaning down slightly to kiss the top of Zuko’s head. Zuko doesn’t usually like looking at himself in the mirror (too much time spent in front of it practicing facial expressions), but he smiles at his reflection as Sokka presses a kiss to his hair. “I’ll be there,” Sokka says, voice reassuring.

“Yeah.” Despite his stress, Zuko’s heart swells as he takes a deep breath and reaches out to squeeze Sokka’s hand. “You’ll be there.”

* * * * * * *

One of Azula’s terms for agreeing to therapy and a temporary stint in the center was a visit from Zuko every two weeks. Zuko still doesn’t quite know why she wanted that; his best guess is that torturing him is still one of her favorite forms of entertainment. Or — maybe not quite torture anymore, but relentless teasing? Definitely.

Zuko is pretty sure this visit is going to be torturous, though.

When they walk into the lobby, Ming, the receptionist, looks up at them and smiles. “She’s in her room,” she says, and Zuko nods.

“Thanks, Ming,” he says, smiling at her. After about twenty visits and multiple chats with Ming in the waiting room, smiling at her is much easier.

* * * * * * *

When Zuko opens the door, Azula is perched on her bed reading a book. The picture window is open and lets light stream into the room, an improvement from the first week, when she'd refused to draw up the blinds at all. She's reading some YA novel that’s definitely from Ty Lee — Mai wouldn’t have ever given it to her, and Ty Lee and Mai were pretty much the only other people trying to do the difficult job of making amends with Azula. (Besides Iroh, and Zuko doesn’t have his uncle pegged as a YA novel type of guy. _You never know with Uncle, though_ , he thinks to himself with a mental shrug.)

“Hi, Azula,” he says tonelessly, sitting with Sokka small sofa across from her bed. “How are you?”

Azula carefully marks her page and sets her book to the side, eyes narrow as she looks up. “I’m fine,” she replies, then eyes Sokka. “I see you brought _him_ with you. Do you have a special announcement or something?”

“Sokka has a name,” Zuko snaps. Sokka grabs his hand, trying to keep him calm.

Azula ignores that.

“How’s the apartment treating you? I know you were used to a much bigger space when we were younger, Zuzu,” she says, voice sickly-sweet.

Zuko glares at the patch of wall just above her head. “The apartment is wonderful, Azula,” he replies, voice icy. He bites back a jab about how Azula’s current room is much smaller than his apartment. Even though he really wants to, he knows it wouldn’t be right.

“And you?” Azula asks, folding her arms over her chest and turning to Sokka. “I’ve no doubt you like your apartment just as much as, if not more than, Zuzu. I’m sure it’s much bigger than whatever igloo you grew up in.”

“It’s a very nice apartment, Azula,” Sokka replies. “You might want to do some more research on stereotypes though," he continues easily, voice still mild. "I’ve heard that one a million times before, and I know you’re smarter than a simple Wikipedia search.”

Zuko, on the other hand, is practically steaming, his gaze snapping to Azula's and all traces of coldness gone as he stares daggers at her. “Don’t talk to Sokka like that,” he hisses.

Azula narrows her eyes. “What’s wrong, Zuzu? You don’t think he can defend himself?”

Zuko feels Sokka shift next to him, about to reply to Azula, but he squeezes Sokka’s hand, a silent _I got this_.

“First of all, Azula, _Sokka has a name._ ” He grits his words out between clenched teeth, Sokka squeezing his hand reassuringly. “And second of all, Sokka can defend himself just fine. But when you love someone, you defend them. You wouldn’t know anything about that, though, would you?" He stares Azula straight in the eyes, and he might be imagining it but he can almost see her shrinking a little as she shifts uncomfortably, unused to such intense eye contact with him. "I just hope you understand what that's like someday.”

Zuko stands up, Sokka following him, hand still holding his tightly. “Come on, Sokka,” he says. “Let’s go. She doesn’t deserve to sit with you.”

“Fine,” Azula throws at them as they turn to leave, the venom in her voice evident. “Have fun with your boyfriend, Zuzu.”

For all her perceptiveness, Azula hadn't noticed the matching gold and silver bands around their ring fingers.

“It’s fiancé, actually,” Zuko shoots back over his shoulder. Sokka turns to look at her, holding up his left hand in a wave, the silver band glinting as he grins widely.

They step out of the room, and Zuko slams the door shut behind him.

* * * * * * *

“. . . And then he said ‘It’s fiancé, actually,’ and slammed the door!” Sokka exclaims, unable to contain his grin.

The entire table breaks into laughter, and Toph whoops, poking Zuko with her foot.

“Did you really, Sparky?” she asks.

Zuko looks up from where he’s been tracing the armband tattoo on Sokka’s bicep, running over the lines with his thumb. “Yeah, I did,” he says, smiling to himself.

Toph whoops again. “I knew you had it in you, Sparky! I knew it!”

Zuko takes her punch to his arm remarkably well, the smile on his face refusing to slip.

“Is Azula going to be at the wedding?” Katara asks. “Because if she is, Aang might have to hold me back. And I don’t know if he’ll be able to.”

“I won’t be able to,” Aang confirms, slipping a piece of chicken to Appa, who’s sitting under the table. (Aang is a firm vegetarian, but insists it would be cruel to make Appa be a vegetarian too.)

Sokka waves his hand. “Relax, guys. We don’t have to worry about that right now. Just enjoy the celebratory engagement dinner and all the wonderful food and tea laid out before you, courtesy of our favorite Uncle.”

Katara stares at him. “Who are you and what did you do with Sokka the Plan Guy?” she asks, voice disbelieving.

“What can I say? Love has changed me,” Sokka replies dreamily, eyes misty as he sighs dramatically. “I’m a new man.”

“Not that much of a new man,” Zuko says pointedly, eyeing his plate. “You’ve still got plenty of meat. And you haven’t lost your sarcasm either.”

While the rest of the table laughs, Sokka leans to whisper into Zuko’s ear. “You kinda just made an innuendo, babe.”

Zuko feels his cheeks heat up with that instinctive sense of dread he still gets from saying the wrong thing.

“I didn’t mean to,” he whispers back, and Sokka giggles.

“Babe, it’s okay. It was funny. I was just letting you know.” Sokka’s breath tickles his ear, and Zuko giggles quietly. He may still get embarrassed when he accidentally says something he doesn't mean, but Sokka pretty much always knows how to fix it. “I’m not complaining. It was very complimentary to me.”

Zuko is now blushing for an entirely different reason.

Suki kicks Sokka under the table. “What’re you two lovebirds whispering about?” she asks with a devilish grin. “Zuko’s red as a tomato.”

Zuko, if possible, blushes even harder. Sokka tries to kick her back, but his foot makes contact with Appa instead.

Aang glares at Sokka as Appa yelps. “Why did you just kick Appa?”

“I didn’t mean to!” Sokka defends, reaching down to offer Appa a conciliatory pat. “I was trying to kick Suki.”

“Like that makes it any better,” Suki says, rolling her eyes.

“Appa isn’t even supposed to be here anyway!” Sokka continues to Aang. “You know how mad Pakku gets when you sneak him in. How did you even manage to sneak in a St. Bernard?”

“Who cares what your landlord thinks?" It’s Aang’s turn to defend himself. "You say all the time that landlords suck. And it’s a special occasion! Appa wants to celebrate your engagement dinner too! And you haven't even shown him the rings yet.” Aang shakes his head sadly.

“And not Momo? You wanted to sneak Appa in. Just admit it!”

Aang and Katara both go quiet at the mention of Momo. Sokka gasps.

“Don’t tell me you snuck Momo in here too.”

Aang and Katara pointedly refuse eye contact.

“Where is he?” Zuko asks eagerly. Momo may be kind of evil, but Zuko’s not going to pass up an opportunity to hold a cat (even if that cat has a reputation for biting and stealing food).

Sokka stares Aang down until he pulls his backpack into his lap wordlessly. The weight inside the backpack is clear as Aang heaves it into his lap.

“You put Momo in a _backpack_?” Zuko practically shrieks. "You didn't do that to Appa!"

“He likes it, Zuko! Look, he’s fast asleep.” Aang lifts up the flap on his backpack to show Momo, who, true to his word, is wheezing steadily, eyes shut.

Zuko looks from Momo to Aang. “Fine. But you brought him into our apartment, so I get to hold him.”

Aang stands up on his chair and passes the backpack to Zuko's outstretched arms over the table, dangerously close to knocking over about five dishes in the process, missing them only thanks to Toph’s shrieks of “ _Careful!_ ”. Zuko settles the backpack in his lap, Momo’s weight a comfortable presence. Sokka smiles at his fiancé, then remembers to whirl back around to glare at his sister and her boyfriend.

“You still haven’t told us why you snuck Appa _and_ Momo in here.”

“It’s a family dinner!” Aang exclaims, eyes big and round. “They’re part of our family!”

As Sokka and Aang continue to argue, Katara rolling her eyes and Suki and Toph pulling faces to make fun of all of them, Zuko can only smile, running his hand softly over the snoozing cat in his lap.

_Our family._

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! if you want to let me know your thoughts, any comments and kudos are much appreciated, both support and criticism :)


End file.
